Five classic Currie Cup clashes between the Sharks and Bulls

The Blue Bulls travel down to Durban on Saturday afternoon to take on the high flying Sharks in the first of this year’s Currie Cup semifinals.

This fixture has a rich history full of unpredictable results.

We take a trip down memory lane.

1956 – Kingsmead

The Natalians’ first appearance in a Currie Cup final – at the famous cricket ground – was played in a gale-force wind and ended in drama as Hennie Nel’s Northern Transvaal side scored a in the final minute through flank Schalk van Dyk, breaking the kicking battle between flyhalves Keith Oxlee and Thys van Zyl for a 9-8 victory, denying glory for Peter Taylor, a legendary Natal skipper. The Currie Cup format was very different in those days – and the competition was not even held annually – and Natal had to scrape past Western Province by one point in the sole semi-final for the right to play Northern Transvaal.

1980 – Loftus Versfeld

Natal’s first victory in Pretoria in 41 years was inspired by the arrival of soon-to-be Springbok captain Wynand Claassen in Durban, Wallaby flank Mark Loane and the coaching of Welshman Roger Gardner. But it did not deter Naas Botha’s Northern Transvaal much as they finished the competition with a tremendous 39-9 hammering of Western Province in the final.

1990 – Loftus Versfeld

No-one believed that Natal had a chance after they were soundly beaten 28-6 by Northern Transvaal at Loftus in the last game before the final, and the Pretoria team and their supporters believed they were invincible. That proved their undoing as a massive Natal pack, with lock Steve Atherton a surprise member of the loose trio, matched them up front and then there was that nine-point try by Tony Watson as the Natalians pulled off an unforgettable 18-12 win to claim the Currie Cup for the first time in their centenary year.

1991 – Kings Park

A record victory achieved on the broad shoulders of powerhouse flank Wahl Bartmann, who overcame a bout of food poisoning by drinking copious amounts of black tea before and during the game and scored a hat-trick of tries. It was all smiles in Durban as Naas Botha was quickly brought back down to earth after saying Natal would not win the Currie Cup for another 100 years!

2002 – Kings Park

The Bulls were terrible in Super Rugby and indifferent in the Currie Cup, but Heyneke Meyer’s successful game plan based around Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, the boot of Derick Hougaard and Joost van der Westhuizen’s inspiring leadership, took shape as they shocked the log-leading Sharks 22-19 at home and went on to win the first of three successive titles.